Chelsea flower show - best time to arrive and can my friend get in later on same app - we have two tickets

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Sorry long title. I am going to Chelsea flower show. Friend wants to arrive about 11am. I wanted to go early. Can I meet her at the gate and get her in later? I really want to avoid crowds . Sorry this is lste. What is best time to go? 8am?? Thank you

What app are they on? If it's AXS friend can download the app and there's a facility for you to transfer the ticket to her so she can go in by herself.

There isn't any time when the show isn't absolutely heaving, but arriving at 11 is probably one of the worst times. I'd get there as early as you can, there will be a queue and gardens will be several people deep whatever time you get there.

But it's an amazing experience, no other show like it, the best of the best.

Thank you so much. That’s so helpful.

as above. Definitely 8am and have a plan of where to go and what to see first.

Ah I was wondering if there was a thread about CFS. Is it worth queuing before 8am do you think. We’re going on Saturday which will be even busier than the other days I think and I’m keen to make the most of it, nit least because the tickets cost a fortune!

I was there today, 8am is definitely better than 11am, it was horribly crowded by then, worse than previous years I think. Very easy to transfer tickets on the AXS app.

Thanks. Yes I would recommend going at 8am. Live about an hour away so was doable. It felt much more atmospheric to see everything up close and chat to the designers. Though was still busy at 8am. I am not sure if worth queuing before 8am. I was disappointed there were no gardener talks that I saw. Malvern had Adam frost and Hampton court Frances when I went. Enjoy.

I was there yesterday!

We always aim to arrive there at about 8:30ish and walk pretty much straight in every time. I’ve always found that for the big show pieces then either very early or late morning/12:00ish (lunch rush) are less crowded. Crowds tend to build up a gain when the afternoon tickets join.

Its also weather dependent - everyone dashes for the pavilion in the rain but it can be better when the sun comes out or first thing in the morning.

What did you think of having the RHS garden made into a walk through? I thought the idea was fine but the reality was really long queues just to walk through the workshop plus having the queues surrounding the garden made it hard to see anything without joining the queue. Nor was there an access queue or staff flagging faster access for those who needed it. The garden was lovely but really don’t think the walk through worked.